Since 1998, the Hirshberg Foundation has proudly partnered with CancerCare, a national nonprofit organization that provides free, professional support services to anyone affected by cancer. Together, we work to address the often-overlooked challenges that come with a cancer diagnosis, especially for patients facing financial hardship. Through this long-standing collaboration, the Foundation provides bi-annual grants that enable CancerCare to offer one-time financial assistance to low-income pancreatic cancer patients. In addition to these grants, patients have access to CancerCare’s full range of emotional, educational, and practical support services, creating a comprehensive safety net during one of life’s most difficult journeys.

The Financial Burden of Cancer Treatment For Low-Income Households

A pancreatic cancer diagnosis can turn a family’s world upside down, not only emotionally but financially. Even with insurance, the cost of treatment, transportation, and time away from work can become overwhelming. CancerCare shares that financial stress continues to be a major barrier to cancer treatment adherence. What you need to know: many patients have made treatment trade-offs due to finances; 1 in 5 delayed cancer treatment due to cost; and 1 in 20 discontinued treatments altogether.

The “financial toxicity” of cancer takes a toll on the quality of life and survival rates. That’s why programs like our CancerCare grant are so critical—they not only ease financial stress but also help patients stay on track with life-saving treatment. According to MD Anderson, the financial strain can extend well beyond active treatment:

• Patients who stop working may lose employer-provided health and life insurance
• The out-of-pocket expenses not covered by insurance often lead to lasting debt
• Insurance may not cover clinical trial treatments

Stories Of Strength: Real Patients, Real Impact

With the help of the Hirshberg Foundation’s grant, CancerCare was able to offer more than just financial assistance – they offered reassurance, connection, and tangible support to individuals facing extraordinary challenges. Thanks to the unwavering support of our community, the Hirshberg Foundation continues to meet patients where they are, offering comfort, care, and crucial financial relief when it’s needed most.

“The Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research and CancerCare have partnered since 1998, providing over $1 million to assist pancreatic cancer patients. This funding helps with essential needs and patients know they have not only CancerCare’s various services but also the Hirshberg Foundation providing crucial support. This collaboration illustrates the power of shared dedication in helping and providing hope in the fight against pancreatic cancer,” shares Vilmarie Rodriguez, Vice President of Patient Assistance and Community Engagement, CancerCare.

Together with CancerCare, we’re not just helping patients navigate cancer, we’re reminding them they’re not alone. Here are just a few of the individuals whose lives were touched by this program:

2024 Program Impact

Thanks to our generous donors and the tireless support of our community, we brought much-needed relief to patients across the country and served 126 low-income pancreatic cancer patients in 2024. This grant continues to ease the financial strain that often accompanies a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, helping patients meet basic needs and focus on healing. CancerCare was once again able to serve a diverse population of individuals affected by this disease.

Last year, the program supported patients in 31 states, with the highest number of recipients in Florida, New York, Georgia, North Carolina, and New Jersey. The majority of patients served were between the ages of 41-64 (78%) and 65 and older (45%). Grants were distributed across a wide range of communities, with 38% of recipients identifying as African American, 34% as White, and 15.5% as Hispanic.

Transportation assistance remained the most urgent need for clients, with 50% of grant funds used to cover the cost of traveling to and from treatment. Co-payments and medical expenses followed, accounting for 28% of the distributed funds. The remaining financial assistance grants were applied to home care services (22%) and other essential needs to help alleviate the burden of treatment and daily living.

Our CancerCare Grant

To date, the Hirshberg Foundation has provided nearly $1.3 million for this patient program, which offers limited financial assistance associated with transportation to and from treatment, pain medication, childcare, home care, and beyond. Funds are provided to low-income patients, for whom it has been a vital resource over the years. Patients and families can learn more about eligibility and program information today.

CancerCare also offers a wealth of other resources free of charge including support groups, educational workshops, co-payment assistance, and case management. Counseling is available in English and Spanish and centers on the emotional and practical challenges that arise from cancer.

Patients and families are not alone in this journey. We are here to help guide you through the initial steps of educating yourself and your family about this disease.

Since 2005, our Seed Grant Program has fostered an environment for research to bloom. As we mark 20 years since our first cohort of grantees, it is more exciting than ever to look back and see all that is being accomplished.

Andrea Bullock, MD, MPH, received a 2011 Seed Grant, a pivotal milestone that helped shape her career as an investigator dedicated to pancreatic cancer research. Now, as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a medical oncologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dr. Bullock continues her work as an academic medical oncologist and clinical investigator.

Thanks to early funding from her Seed Grant award, Dr. Bullock was able to focus on pancreaticobiliary cancers, spearheading collaborations that continue to this day on translational early detection efforts. Her work contributed to significant clinical advancements, including the routine use of germline and somatic genetic testing, the integration of PARP inhibitors into treatment strategies, and an increased focus on homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) in pancreatic cancer. These efforts have directly influenced patient care and the development of targeted therapies.

Dr. Bullock is committed to understanding cancer pathogenesis and developing therapeutic strategies that can be rapidly translated into clinical practice. Her research explores the intersection of DNA repair mechanisms and mitogenetic signaling in pancreatic cancer, including the role of somatic BRCA mutations and receptor tyrosine kinase growth factor signaling in the EGFR and PI3K pathways. She oversees multiple phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials exploring novel targeted and immune therapies for pancreatic cancer. As a medical oncologist and clinical translational investigator, Dr. Bullock is dedicated to advancing research that enhances outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients.

Dr. Bullock envisions a future where early detection efforts are prioritized and immuno-oncology breakthroughs lead to durable responses for pancreatic cancer patients. Thanks to early-career funding from the Hirshberg Foundation’s Seed Grant Program, she continues to drive transformative research that brings hope to those affected by pancreatic cancer.

Thanks to your support, we’ve been planting seeds of hope through our Seed Grant Program for 20 years. It’s a delight to watch research grow from the lab to the clinic and bloom into clinical trials and new treatment options.

Help us continue to sow seeds of hope for a cancer-free future, donate today.

Since 2005, our Seed Grant Program has fostered an environment for research to bloom. As we mark 20 years since our first cohort of grantees, it is more exciting than ever to look back and see all that is being accomplished.

Ken Herrmann, MD, MBA, is a global leader in oncologic nuclear medicine with a career dedicated to advancing theranostics, an innovative field that combines diagnostics with targeted therapies.

Dr. Herrmann completed his residency in nuclear medicine at TU Munich, where he focused on PET imaging in oncology. He then completed a fellowship at Hokkaido University and earned an executive MBA from the University of Zürich. In 2015, as an Associate Professor in the Ahmanson Translational Imaging Division, he was awarded a Seed Grant that helped create the theranostic program at UCLA. Dr. Herrmann’s Seed Grant helped advance his career and laid the foundation for UCLA’s theranostic program, which is now recognized as one of the world’s leading centers for research and clinical application.

Theranostics is a fusion of therapeutics and diagnostics, representing a precision medicine approach that combines targeted diagnostic imaging with precise therapeutic interventions. This often involves using radiopharmaceuticals designed to identify and treat cancer cells. For example, a radioactive compound that detects cancer cells via positron emission tomography (PET) imaging techniques is used. Subsequently, a therapeutic radioactive agent targets and destroys these identified cancer cells. This method allows for precise treatment delivery, minimizing damage to healthy tissues and enhancing treatment efficacy.

Currently, Dr. Herrmann serves as Chair of the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Universitätsklinikum Essen in Germany, leading groundbreaking research and clinical applications. His influence extends across the field as a past Chair of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) Oncology & Theranostics Committee and as a Section Editor for the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. He is actively involved in European Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) grants, securing over €25 million ($27 million) in funding. These projects aim to foster national and international alliances in pancreatic cancer research, with the goal of curing metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Herrmann’s pioneering work in theranostics has significantly influenced research and clinical practices, offering hope for more effective and personalized treatments for patients with challenging cancers, such as metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Herrmann envisions establishing a theranostic approach for treating metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs), integrating diagnostics and therapeutics to enhance patient outcomes.

Thanks to your support, we’ve been planting seeds of hope through our Seed Grant Program for 20 years. It’s a delight to watch research grow from the lab to the clinic and bloom into clinical trials and new treatment options.

Help us continue to sow seeds of hope for a cancer-free future, donate today.

Since 2005, our Seed Grant Program has fostered an environment for research to bloom. As we mark 20 years since our first cohort of grantees, it is more exciting than ever to look back and see all that is being accomplished.

Dr. Ethan Abel, a 2021 Hirshberg Foundation Seed Grant recipient, has continued to make significant strides in pancreatic cancer research. Now in his sixth year as an Assistant Professor at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Abel leads a dedicated research lab focused on uncovering new mechanisms of therapeutic resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

The Hirshberg Foundation’s Seed Grant was crucial in launching Dr. Abel’s independent research career. His early work understanding how the HNF1A protein impacts drug resistance in pancreatic cancer led to a prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) R37 grant. This grant supports his work in understanding the novel roles of HNF1A, a transcription factor in pancreatic cancer, and new proteins of interest with underappreciated roles in pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Abel’s lab is preparing two research manuscripts, one of which is under review, based on findings supported by the Seed Grant and R37 funding. His team includes a technician and two Ph.D. students, one of whom will defend her thesis this summer, an exciting milestone for the next generation of pancreatic cancer researchers.

With his R37 grant, Dr. Abel is investigating how HNF1A contributes to resistance against KRAS-targeted therapies. Once deemed "undruggable," KRAS has now become a viable target, opening the door to new treatment strategies. However, as with many targeted therapies, resistance remains a challenge. Dr. Abel’s research aims to uncover how HNF1A interacts with BRD4 and BET inhibitors to drive resistance, with the goal of identifying ways to overcome these barriers.

Beyond drug resistance, his lab is also exploring the potential role of HNF1A in pancreatic cancer metastasis, illustrating how this protein may contribute to disease progression. These discoveries could open new avenues for therapeutic intervention, potentially improving outcomes for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Abel is optimistic about the future of pancreatic cancer research. With the recent breakthroughs in KRAS and pan-RAS inhibitors, he envisions a shift in treatment paradigms, potentially replacing or enhancing traditional chemotherapy. He anticipates that much of the field’s focus will be on understanding and overcoming therapy resistance in the next five years, ensuring that these promising new treatments can benefit more patients.

His work exemplifies the impact of private funding in fostering innovative research that leads to major scientific advancements. As the Hirshberg Foundation celebrates 20 years of our Seed Grant program, Dr. Abel’s career stands as a testament to the power of early funding in accelerating progress toward a cure.

Thanks to your support, we’ve been planting seeds of hope through our Seed Grant Program for 20 years. It’s a delight to watch research grow from the lab to the clinic and bloom into clinical trials and new treatment options.

Help us continue to sow seeds of hope for a cancer-free future, donate today.